Book Review

BECCA AT SEA (J Fic) by Deirdre Baker

This delightful book is the perfect diversion for anyone taking a “staycation.” Becca, the 10-yr. old heroine, visits her grandmother on a small island off the northwest coast, while Becca’s parents prepare for the birth of her first sibling. Each chapter takes plucky Becca, and the reader, on simple adventures full of surprises. The seashore provides a rich and rustic setting for Becca’s many discoveries, while quirky neighbors and relatives provide challenges and support, as Becca develops a subtle self-reliance. The plot is episodic but pieced together with a feel of genuine community among the vivid characters who inhabit the story. And Becca proves to be a capable and curious kid who remains undeterred by unexpected events that take place on the island, and by changes that occur within her family. BECCA AT SEA ends with a satisfying sense of place and purpose for Becca, and the reader, which lingers beyond the last page of the book.

Early Childhood Champions!

Public youth librarians have a huge responsibility these days. We carry the future on our shoulders and in our early-childhood programs -- programs for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. The public library "playing field" for adults is fast becoming uneven. More and more, public libraries are serving middle to lower-income adults who can't afford computers and internet service. The adults who can would rather order their books online from Amazon or use the internet to place requests for library books remotely and then simply come in to check the materials out. But public youth librarians can and do still serve the whole economic spectrum of customers -- be they children at Headstart centers or children of affluent parents, whose mothers can afford not to work and who want to give their progeny the best possible start in life. That's where public youth librarians can step up to the plate and make a difference. By nurturing early literacy skills and the love of reading in the very young from all backgrounds, we can, in the programs we provide, foster a brighter future for all citizens of the diverse nation in which we live and work.

Holistic Filing?

At the risk of being considered unprofessional, I'd like to touch on the idea of "holistic filing." Because I shelve lots of easy fiction (picture books) at my library, and because I have always been on the public service side of things rather than the tech or administrative ends, this concept recently surfaced (while shelving, of course) and represents, perhaps, a practical, albeit novel approach to filing/shelving. Here goes: Why not lump all common author surnames (Andersons, Browns, McDonalds, Smiths, Williams, etc.) together on the easy fiction shelves and file the books alphabetically by their titles? Wouldn't the shelving take less time, the customers find the titles they are looking for faster, and the clerical staff locate the books requested by customers at other libraries more quickly? Rather than all of these folks having to take the time to figure out what the first name of the author is (Is it Marc, Margaret, or Ruth Brown?), and then figure out where, alphabetically, the author's works fall among the other, like-surnamed authors (a real challenge for much of the general public), then locate the title they want, why not streamline the process and provide better customer service? At least in the easy fiction/picture book sections, where the spines are thin and the quantities are often huge? Is it because it might stress out the catalogers (are there any left?) or offend library administrators (who have more time to philosophize)? Or is it because I am under-complicating the issue?

Shelving + Weeding = Better Collections

Due to budget cuts in the large county library system in which I work, all of the part-time shelver positions were eliminated about a year ago, all of the shelving duties were absorbed by the remaining staff, and the branches began opening an hour later so that staff could shelve materials during the first non-public hour before the doors opened. Ironically, I just transfered to the branch that I first began my library career at 33 years ago. And, with a Masters degree, I am shelving picture books once again. But there is an up-side to the situation, I've found, in terms of collection management. By getting up close and personal (down on the floor!) with those pictures books I've been assigned to put back on the shelves, I can instantly see which books are in poor condition, which sections are crowded, which titles remain in their place and never get checked out, and which titles fly out of the library again as soon as they are reshelved. That's information that helps me manage the collection better. Because I can see and weed, on a daily basis, the broken and the neglected. And I can order additional copies of the hotter titles and authors. The other up-side to shelving is that it keeps me humble and reminds me to focus on the process. Because, quite frankly, getting all of the picture books shelved at my library is an unattainable goal.